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Pocket Rocket: An E-Cig Gave This Guy 2nd Degree Burns

Electronic cigarettes are all the rage these days. Many people who have struggled to quit smoking cigarettes have turned to this little electronic device for support. By being slightly healthier and easier to quit than regular cigarettes, E-cigs turn out to be the safer the option, but are they?

Liar liar pants on fire

Josh Hamilton, of Owensboro, Kentucky, is currently recovering from severe burns on his thigh after his E-cig battery exploded in his pocket. Ouch. Hamilton, who was just minding his own business while trying to buy some snacks at his local gas station was getting ready to pay the cashier when his pants suddenly caught on fire.

The surveillance camera inside the gas station caught the entire incident on video, showing Hamilton shaking his leg vigorously and running out of the store in a frenzy. Gas station worker, Jassie Singh told CNN, “He was giving me money, he put his hand in his pocket, so suddenly there was fire. Big fire, and he was burning.”

Manoj Kumar, another gas station employee who was working that day, told CNN that Hamilton immediately took off his pants to try to get rid of the flames. Kumar said that Singh “came out of the store, grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it on the guy’s leg.” Kumar added, “Then another customer took him to a hospital.”

Where’s the FDA?

After he went to the hospital, Hamilton posted a graphic photo of his burns commenting, “These are actually all 2nd-degree burns so hopefully won’t have to have surgery or skin graphs. But it’s too soon to tell I think.”

Needless to say, this isn’t the first time a spontaneous fire or explosion has been reported by an E-cig. Not to mention, unlike other tobacco products, neither the E-cig itself nor the liquids are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Maybe it’s time the FDA reconsiders? Let’s hope so.

Do you think the FDA should be regulating E-cigs and its products? Let us know on social media or by commenting below.